62 



SHADE TREES FOR NORTH CAROLINA. 



planting- in streets, for bordering driveways, for parks, and especially for 

 roadsides. 



Beech (Fagus) is a common native tree which might with advantage 

 be occasionally substituted for southern maple in the eastern or for sugar 

 maple in the western portion of the State, when it is desired to secure a 

 dense shade. While the growth is not so rapid as that of the maple, it is 

 satisfactory and its smooth, gray bark, net-work of finely divided flexuous 

 twigs, make it very attractive in the winter. It is somewhat more exact- 

 ing in regard to soil than the maples and has a superficial root system, 

 which is very extensive. It stands transplanting well, however, and is 

 very tolerant of the knife. Its tendency is to branch low, which must be 

 regulated, and it forms a broad, spreading crown of dense bright-green 

 foliage. There are varieties with brown-purple foliage. It is, however, 

 better suited for the lawn than roadside planting. Trees should be spaced 

 35 feet. 



Hop Hornbeam (Carpinns caroUniana), a native tree of small size 

 and compact crown with elm-like foliage and bark, is seldom more than 20 

 feet in height and reaches an age of 40 or 50 years. The growth is slow, 

 especially in mature trees, but old trees maintain their soundness and 

 health for a great many years. The trunk is rather long for so small a 

 tree and the naturally broadly oval, symmetrical crown makes a dense 

 shade. It is readily transplanted and, when necessary, stands pruning 

 well. It is easily propagated from seed, but seedlings must be raised un- 

 der light shade. Trees should be spaced 20 feet. On account of the com- 

 pact habit, small size, health, and the slow growth of old specimens, it is 

 a most desirable tree for planting narrow walks and streets, the trees 

 requiring no trimming for many years. 



■ Oaks (Quercus). — The oaks form in this State, and in fact in the 

 other Southern States, the largest and most important group of native 

 shade trees, there being in this State alone fifteen species which make 

 admirable shade trees, all of which are used in some portion of the State 

 to a greater or less extent for that purpose. The water oak section, includ- 

 ing the water, laurel, shingle and willow oaks, probably furnishes the 

 species which do best in the eastern and middle portions of the State, al- 

 though several of the white oaks and some of the red oaks do extremely 

 well there also. Only one water oak is native to the western portion of 

 the State, the shingle oak, which is not so satisfactory as many of the red 

 oaks and white oaks of that region. 



With few exceptions, the oaks attain large sizes as shade trees, several of 

 them attaining the largest size of any shade trees we have. They are of 

 rapid growth, especially in youth, have clean foliage, are readily trans- 



